Educating Learners for Their Future, Not Our Past - Andreas Schleicher

Oct 15, 2026

Purpose—Examine educational demands in the digital age, focusing on tomorrow’s teachers and policy-makers, and motivate all actors to build innovative learning environments for future schools. Design/Approach/Methods—Conceptual analysis drawing on updated data and literature to consolidate arguments. Findings—Future education should help learners develop a learning compass, transformative competencies, and navigate uncertainty through new curriculum principles, redesigned school systems, refreshed teacher culture, and alternative assessment. Originality/Value—Offers broadened visions for future education and schools.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

A Changing World

Economic challenge

Social challenge

Sustainability challenge

Resilience and education

ECNU Review of Education ISSN: 2096-5311 CN: 31-2150/G4 [http://www.roe.ecnu.edu.cn](http://www.roe.ecnu.edu.cn) Educating Learners for Their Future, Not Our Past DOI 10.30926/ecnuroe2018010104 Andreas Schleicher The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) © East China Normal University & East China Normal University Press Educating Learners for Their Future, Not Our Past1 Andreas Schleicher The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) © East China Normal University & East China Normal University Press, Shanghai, China Abstract Purpose—This paper aims to examine the educational demands in the digital age from tomorrow’s teachers and policy-makers, and to encourage and incentivize all actors to develop the innovative learning environments that we need for tomorrow’s schools. Design/Approach/Methods—As a conceptual paper, this article has consulted and analyzed a wide range of updated data and literature to consolidate the argumentation on tomorrow’s educational demands. Findings—The paper mainly provides possible answers on how to educate students for their future, rather than our past. The heart of future education is to help students develop a reliable compass and tools, transformative competency, and to navigate through an increasingly complex, volatile, and uncertain world. To fulfill this core mission, a new set of curriculum design principles, changing school system, renewed teacher culture, and an alternative assessment program are highly advocated. Originality/Value—Based on the latest observations and reflections, the paper broadens our visions on tomorrow’s education and future schools. Keywords Transformative competencies; learning compass; school system; professional development A Changing World How should countries equip people to understand, engage with and shape a changing world? The backdrop to the 21st century remains our endangered environment. Rising population, resource depletion and climate change place a responsibility on us all to develop the planet sustainably, with an eye to the needs of future generations. At the same time, new challenges have arisen, shaped by the interaction of technology and globalization. The first challenge is economic. Industries, organisations and professions have been disaggregated and automated. For niche suppliers to hollowed-out corporates, or for dynamic internet businesses, the rewards are high. But for others, the gig economy means the scourge of vulnerable work: zero-hour contracts without benefits, insurance or pension. Entrepreneurial economies have unleashed new growth, but at the price of widening inequality. The second challenge is social. Across the world, people are on the move. Many work internationally by choice. Others are forced to travel by war and poverty. How Corresponding Author: Andreas Schleicher [andreas. schleicher@oecd. org](andreas. schleicher@oecd. org) ECNU Review of Education 1 (1) 59 diverse can communities become before trust corrodes, social capital weakens, and civil society is undermined? We are born with what political scientist Robert Putnam (2007) calls bonding social capital, a sense of belonging to our family or other people with shared experiences, cultural norms, common purposes, or pursuits. But it requires deliberation and continuous effort to create the kind of bridging social capital through which we can share experiences, ideas and innovation and build a shared understanding among groups with diverse experiences and interests, thus increasing our radius of trust to strangers and institutions. Societies that nurture bridging social capital and pluralism have always been more creative, as they can draw on and bring to bear the best talent from anywhere, build on multiple perspectives and nurture creativity and innovation. Sustainability is the third challenge. The goal declared by the Brundtland Commission (1987) some 30 years ago—calling for

FAQs

What is the paper’s purpose regarding education in the digital age?

It examines educational demands for tomorrow’s teachers and policy-makers and encourages actors to develop innovative learning environments for future schools.

What does the paper identify as the core mission of future education?

Helping students develop a reliable learning compass and tools, build transformative competencies, and navigate a complex, volatile, and uncertain world.

What major challenges does the paper discuss in a changing world?

It highlights economic, social, and sustainability challenges, and links them to the need for resilience and adaptability in modern education.

Oct 15, 2026

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